Michigan: Bill Repealing Permit-to-Purchase Passes State Senate, Goes to House for Concurrence Vote

Today, the Michigan Senate approved House Bill 5225 by a 27 to 11 vote. If enacted, this NRA-priority legislation would repeal the long-standing and outdated license-to-purchase system for handgun purchases through a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer (FFL).

HB 5225, despite passing in the state House by an overwhelming 74 to 36 vote, required some last minute changes to guarantee passage and the Governor’s signature this legislative session. The amended and passed version of HB 5225 is a big first step, in what will be many steps, to repeal Michigan’s antiquated and ineffective gun control measures.

The amended version of HB 5225 has many incremental improvements for which gun owners across the state will benefit, including:

Streamlining private sales to allow people to apply for a purchase license at any law enforcement agency rather than those in the city or county of their residence

Repealing the prerequisite handgun safety test currently required to obtain a purchase license

Extending the time that a purchase license for private transfers is valid from ten days to thirty days

Repealing the requirement that local law enforcement agencies maintain paper copies of purchase licenses

While the amended version of HB 5225 does not accomplish all of the policy changes originally sought in this legislation as introduced, the NRA remains firmly committed to pursuing these goals early in the next legislative session and finally eliminating the obsolete and wasteful handgun license-to purchase/registration process. We support the positive changes made by HB 5225 as progress for Michigan gun owners and sportsmen in the short-term, and the NRA will strongly advocate for passage and enactment of the remainder of this legislation in 2013.

Thank you to all NRA members who contacted their state legislators in support of this much-needed reform. A concurrence vote in the House is expected tomorrow. Your NRA-ILA will keep you informed as the situation develops.